Grace

It's been a funny year for me this year. In some senses I think I've felt God's presence more this year than I ever have. In other senses the human part of me has experienced a lot of the 'challenges' that life throws at you- loneliness and solitude have visited more than I care to divulge! I find myself often disappointed in human nature. The last couple of weeks a number of situations have occurred that have torn at my heart. We can be really unkind as people- knowingly and unknowingly.

I've been trying to sell my car, and I very nearly got scammed last week, by a man posing to buy the car for his son. He was just setting out to rip me off. That's a long story girls, but again I found myself really disappointed and questioning why people do these things. A Christian acquaintance of mine up here, made some really nasty comments about me this past week with were really uncool, and again I found myself questioning why we do this to each other. Isn't it about love? grace? How disheartened I feel at all the selfishness, dishonesty and cruelty. How easy is it to get resentful of all this and become bitter. I so don't want to live like that. Lately I feel like I'm watching my own movie though with people just throwing stuff at me. It's been a real barrage of things just presenting themselves to me and I feel totally out of control watching all this occur in front of me. It's hard not to hold on to the feelings that this naturally brings up. Instead though, I'm choosing to turn it around. I'm praying for the scamming man! and the others that are doing these things. God reminds me that that none of us are perfect. I'm far from it so who am i to cast the first stone?

This year has been by far my roughest year (roll on 2010), but as I reflect on it I see God's steady hand with me. This morning in one of our 'conversations' He told me that He is here, and that He walks with me through every moment. He sees the disappointments and tears that others don't. He will never leave. How amazing is He that He still has time to care about lil old me! I think it's cool that He cares about the man who was trying to rip me off; about the friends who are unkind or the people who are not thoughtful. It reminds me that it's all about Him. None of us deserve grace, that's why it's grace.

So this long-winded grat and it's roundabout way it just that- I'm thankful for His unfailing love; for His grace and for His refining in times like these. Whilst it's hard to see at the time, I know that He is going to use all of these experiences for His purpose- so that's pretty cool.

tam

Disorganised but still blessed

I am not the worlds most organised person and while I do have several good reasons for being this way, lets just say...I don't plan ahead efficiently like some of my close friends. No, you wont find me at the Toy sales in June buying up my Christmas presents early, nor will you find me tucked up in bed early the night before a big party I am hosting the next day. No...I am the gal who stays up till 4am desperately getting everything cooked, cleaned and decorated for the arrival of guests at 10am!!! Anyway the point I am trying to make here is that we have wanted to buy a either a trampoline or swingset for our daughter who will be 3 on Sunday, but despite my best attempts at getting to the shops, I missed out on the swingset that I really wanted (that was on special). Not only did they take the 'bargain' price off the item they added another $150 to the price!!!! Anyway all hope was lost or so I thought BUT 3 days before her birthday and all the big stores have started having sales on tramps and swingset again and wallaaa we have found ourselves a fantastic bargain for her birthday!!!!!!!!! Yes, I am disorganised but still blessed!!!

A moment in time

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to see my Grandpa again after not seeing him for far too long. He is getting really old and I had never had a chance to introduce him to my youngest daughter who is now 15 months. It was a bit touch and go as to whether I would be able to go due to my girls being sick but my doc gave us the all clear so off we went to visit along with all the cousins, aunt and uncle and grandparents! It was so lovely to have the chance to see him again and I was very grateful that there were lots of other adults around to help keep my kids entertained so I could have a chance to sit and talk with him. I have a real soft spot for Grandpa as he is just like a really old version of my Dad!

Perfume Grat

I have a few bottles of nice perfume but my favourite perfume ran out a couple of days ago and I began to wonder when I'd be able to justify buying myself some more.

I usually wait until an overseas trip and get some duty free but the next overseas trip I have planned is to go and live in Thailand and be a missionary so I was thinking that buying perfume probably wouldn't be a high priority on my list of things needed LOL.

God is so funny how he provides though. At my girl's group last night one of the ladies in the group came in carrying a big bag full of things saying that her sister worked for Lancome and had kept giving her samples of perfume and things that she wanted to get rid of because she had too many. I thought she was talking about sachet samples or something but when she started unloading her bag, they were full sized (large) bottles of perfume!!! I got to take home a bottle of Emporio Armani Diamonds and a bottle of the matching moisturiser. How cool is that?

Food grats...

I really didn't feel like heading out late to do the grocery shopping the other night in the rainy, cold Melbourne weather but I am grateful that my in-laws offered to stay up and babysit our sleeping children allowing my husband and I to do the shopping together!! This just never happens anymore so it was so much fun being out late and cruising round Coles finding bargains and chatting together. I know... how exciting is MY life LOL!

This leads me to my next grat of bargains... while we shopping, the deli kept making announcements of reducing things like salmon from $20 a kilo to $3 a kilo etc. We got 1.5kg of hoki for like $4 and a cooked roast chicken for$5. We ate half our fish tonight cooked with some fresh coriander, garlic, butter and lemon and it was absolutely delicious and sooooo cheap! Yippee.

Two grats...

I am grateful for a really lovely weekend filled with fun and friends, it left me in very good spirits and reminded me of how blessed I am to be surrounded by so many amazing people!

I am also grateful for peace - and the chance to 'grow up' in such a blessed nation, with so many opportunities, not the least of which is freedom! How blessed I am to have this when so many other throughout history have not.

closing doors

Im grateful today that God has closed a couple of doors for me with things I'm seeking Him on. Of course, it's always easier to step through open ones,...as opposed to me ....

"step, bang, ...ouch, I guess that's a no then..."

Still, I'm thankful He does close some, it at least enables me to go "OK not there, right, next". and I'm sure He is preventing me from making mistakes too. Plus WHEN He does open one, I'll know and I'm looking forward to that day where He will confirm His presence and will.

Have a good week ladies :)